Wall panel and method

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provides a system and method for constructing support structures in buildings or other projects, which can support molds for use when pouring reinforced concrete slabs. The disclosed structures can accommodate more than one molds stacked vertically one over the other, and can remain in place to define walls or other separators in the completed structure. In one embodiment, the disclosed structure is a wall panel including a frame and vertical support members. The wall panel includes features allowing the vertical stacking of multiple wall panels. The wall panel includes a load distribution member in the form of a T-beam with a web portion disposed between the vertical support members.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to modular wall panels for use in construction of high rise structures, including but not limited to floor support wall panels for use during and after pouring of reinforced concrete floor slabs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When constructing high-rise buildings that include more than one floor, typical construction methods include creating a temporary support structure on a newly formed floor surface. This support structure is used to support molds that will form the next floor slab. Thus, the construction of multi-floor buildings requires the sequential pouring of floors, which also involves the erection and removal of support structures and/or scaffolding on successive floors.

Typical support structures include scaffolding constructed by tubing having a round cross section. Such scaffolding is erected on the floor slab of a newly poured floor to support molds that will be used to pour the floor above. The scaffolding may be dismantled when pouring of the above floor is complete, and moved for re-erection when successively pouring other floors.

The successive re-use of scaffolding in erecting, dismantling, and re-erecting the structure for each floor of a multi-story building can be quite labor intensive and time consuming. Moreover, the wall structures of the building must be constructed for the newly formed floors after the pouring of the “floor” and “ceiling” slabs are complete.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The structures and methods provided in the present disclosure are advantageously adapted for reducing the labor and time required to pour successive floor slabs when constructing a multi-story structure. In a general aspect, the disclosure provides wall panels that can be erected for more than one floor simultaneously when constructing a multi-story building. The erected wall panels can support more than one floor mold at the same time, thus allowing for the simultaneous or uninterrupted pouring of more than one floor. Moreover, in one embodiment, the disclosed wall panels may be permanently erected in place to provide vertical and shear support to the building after the floor slabs have been poured. The disclosed wall structures are configured to provide useable structural support to a building, as well as useable surfaces for forming walls after the completion of construction. These and other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from the following discussion read in conjunction with the illustrations of the several views of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an outline view of a wall panel in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an outline view of an alternate embodiment of a wall panel in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the top portion of a connector for a wall panel in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of a bottom portion of a connector for a wall panel in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of a connection arrangement between two wall panels in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of a wall panel in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a section of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a comparison of the load distribution using the wall panels shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

FIG. 10 is a partial outline view of a wall panel temporary support structure in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an outline view of wall panels partially assembled onto a building during construction in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an outline view of a wall panel 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. The wall panel 100 essentially operates as a load bearing structure for supporting vertical loading. The wall panel 100 can be constructed at any desired length and, in one embodiment, can be used as a unitary structure to support a similar wall panel disposed above the wall panel 100 along the entire length or width of a floor slab of a building. In an alternate embodiment, the wall panel 100 may have a predetermined, modular length, for example, 2-32 ft. (0.61-9.75 m). In that embodiment, two or more modular wall panels may be connected, for example, by bolted or welded connections, to form a wall of a desired length formed by the modular wall panels.

The wall panel 100 includes an outer or box frame 102 having internal supports 104 extending vertically along its length. The box frame 102 operates to support vertical loading and includes a top rail forming a load distribution member 106, two side rails 108, a bottom member which may include a light gage track or bottom rail 110 and a support plate 111 below the bottom rail 110 (shown in FIG. 4). The load distribution member 106, side rails 108, and internal supports 104 are made of rectangular tube stock, the dimensions of which may be adjusted to provide adequate support for the loading expected to be applied onto the wall panel 100. The load distribution member 106 operates to distribute the load applied to the wall panel 100 evenly along its length and is formed by a single rectangular tube having a width that is equal to the overall width of the wall panel 100.

The bottom rail 110 is made of a cold-formed steel sheet shaped in a U-section channel. The side rails 108 and internal supports 104 can be made of the same tubular stock, as shown in FIG. 1, but may alternatively be made of tubular or other stock having different dimensions. The side rails 108 are arranged in pairs with each member of the pair disposed along the outer edges of the wall panel 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the side rails 108 and vertical supports 104 are made of square 2×2 in. (about 5×5 cm.) tubing of 3/16 in. (0.48 cm.) gage steel. The steel used for constructing the panels can be galvanized, and may additionally be treated after installation with corrosion and/or heat protective coatings. The side rails 108 and internal supports 104 are welded along the outside edges of the load distribution member 106 and to the inside edges of the bottom rail 110 on the bottom. A gap 112 is defined between each pair of side rails 108 and vertical supports 104, which can provide a passageway for conduits or pipes through the wall panel, even after the panel forms a completed wall of the building. The width of the wall 100 and the dimensions of the side rails 108 and vertical supports 104 determines the width of the gap 112.

The wall panel 100 further includes a horizontal bridging rail 114 extending horizontally along the length of the wall panel 100 and disposed at about the midsection thereof. The horizontal bridging rail 114 in the illustrated embodiment is disposed within the gap 112 and is connected to the side rails 108 and vertical supports 104 to provide stability to the wall panel. The wall panels can include a single bridging rail 114, as shown in FIG. 1, or it may include a plurality of bridging rails 114, each disposed at a distinct height within the wall panel, thereby providing a group of vertically-spaced apart bridging rails 114.

During use, two or more wall panels 110 may be stacked on top of one another to build a multi-story structure that can support molds for floors or other floor/ceiling slab structures. Vertical interconnection between adjacent wall panels 100 can be accomplished by a bolted or welded connection arrangement. In the illustrated embodiment, a block 116 having a hole 118 is disposed on either end of the wall panel 100 atop the ends of the load distribution member 106. Each block 116 may be made of a section of square or rectangular tube stock, and the hole 118 may be formed through the top side wall of each block 116 to accommodate a bolt therethrough (not shown) for connecting an additional panel 110. In a similar arrangement, two angled brackets 120 may be disposed, respectively, at each end of the wall panel 110 along an inner horizontal surface of the bottom rail 110 to provide structural reinforcement around a hole 122. Each hole 122 extends through components of the wall panel 110 to provide an opening for attaching the wall panel 100 onto another panel disposed beneath it (not shown) as is described below relative to the illustrations of FIGS. 3-5.

A variation of the wall panel 100 is shown in FIG. 2, where elements that are the same or similar to elements already described relative to the wall panel 100 (shown in FIG. 1) are denoted by the same reference numerals previously used. The wall panel 200 shown in FIG. 2 is specifically arranged to provide improved resistance to shear stresses, which makes the wall panel 200 suitable for use when constructing the core portion of a building, for surfaces of a building exposed to wind or seismic loading, or for any other wall portions expected to bear high shear loading.

Similar to the wall panel 100, the wall panel 200 includes top and bottom rails 106 and 110. The side rails 208 are made of a stock having an increased outer profile, which provides improved resistance to shear loading. In addition, the wall panel 200 includes two cross braces 202, which extend in an “X” configuration between the four corners of the outer frame 102. Similar to the horizontal bridging rail 114, the cross braces 202 are made of rectangular tube stock and extend within the gap 112 defined between the pairs of side rails 208 and the vertical supports 104. At their ends, the two cross braces 202 may be bolted, pinned, or welded to the side rails 208. Because of the cross braces 202, the wall panel 200 may be made into modular lengths, for example, in 8 ft. (2.44 m.) lengths, that can be connected by use of bolted or welded connections.

Various configurations of the rails used in wall panels 100 and 200 are also possible in order to meet certain load requirements. For example, in addition to having larger rectangular side rails 208, as shown in FIG. 2, the wall panels 100/200 could include rectangular supports 104 as well. In addition the supports 104 and/or side rails 108/208 can include larger or smaller gage tubing, as required. In certain instances, different wall panels including supports capable of bearing different loads can be used together in the same structure, as described in more detail below.

A partial outline of a connection block 116 is shown in FIG. 3, and of a bracket 120 is shown in FIG. 4. The cross section shown in FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment for a connection arrangement between two vertically connected wall panels 100 or 200. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the block 116 is welded atop the top rail 106 by use of, for example, two weld beads or lines 302 extending along the outer edges of the block 116. A bolt 304 extends through the opening 118 such that a threaded section of the bolt 304 protrudes above the block 116. In the illustrated embodiment, a head 306 of the bolt 304 is connected, for example, by use of tack welding, onto the bottom surface of the top wall of the block 116. Weld beads or lines 308 connecting the top rail 106 to the two visible side rails 208 are shown extending along outer edges of the wall panel 200.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 120 has an “L” shape and is connected at each inside corner between the vertical rails 208 and the top surface of the bottom rail 110. The hole or opening 122 is a through-hole meant to accommodate the threaded portion of the bolt 304. A partial cross section of the connection arrangement between two wall panels 200, which would be similar between two wall panels 100, is shown in FIG. 5. As can be seen from the illustration, the two stacked wall panels 200 are connected when the bolt 304 passes through the opening 122 and the two panels are secured to one another by a nut 310 engaged onto the bolt 304.

Another embodiment of a wall panel 400 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. One significant difference between wall panel 400 and wall panels 100 and 200 is that load distribution member 406 is formed as a T-shaped beam instead of the rectangular stock used in wall panels 100 and 200. This has particular advantages, as will be explained in more detail below. Many of the other features of wall panel 400 can be formed similarly to the corresponding features of wall panels 100 and 200. For example, the various described constructions for attaching the bottom of the wall panel to the top of block 116, the different possible sizes and shapes of side rails and supports, and the use of cross beams 202 can all be incorporated into wall panel 400.

The T-shaped beam, referred to herein as a T-beam, which forms load distribution member 406 of wall panel 400, can be any support beam including a T-shaped construction having a flange 412 and a web 414, as shown in detail in FIG. 7. For example, load distribution member 406 may be a standard W-tee beam. Alternatively, load distribution member 406 can be formed from two or more members that are coupled together to form a T-beam. For example, a first plate forming the flange 412 could be welded to a second plate forming the web 414. As another alternative, the T-beam 406 could be formed by two L-shaped members attached to one another in a T-shape.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the T-beam is disposed on the supports 404 and side rails 408 with the flange 412 of load distribution member abutting a top end of each of the supports 404 and side rails 408. The web 414 of T-beam 406 extends downward from the flange 412 in the space 112 between each of the side rails 408 in a pair, and similarly between each of the supports 404 of a respective pair of supports. Both of these characteristics of the T-beam load distribution member 406 provide some advantages over the rectangular tube stock used as the load distribution member 106 in wall panels 100 and 200.

FIG. 8 demonstrates the axial loading from load distribution member 106 to side rails 108, which is similar to the distribution to supports 104. Using the rectangular tube stock for load distribution member 106, the load F passes through the load distribution member 106 along the outer edges of the tube stock, where the supporting material is located. As a result, in some instances, most of the load is translated from the load distribution member 106 directly into the area of the side rails 108 or supports 104 that lie below the outer edges of the tube stock of the load distribution member. Accordingly, the inner sides of the side rails 108 or supports 104 bear a lesser extent of the load. Thus, the load F′ below the load distribution member may not be evenly distributed, as shown in FIG. 8. In contrast, by using the T-beam 406 as the load distribution member in the wall panel 400, the axial load is only required to pass through the solid plate formed by flange 412 to reach the side rails 408 or supports 404. Consequently, the load distribution member is able to distribute the axial load to all sides of the side rails 408 or supports 404 evenly, as shown in FIG. 9. This increased distribution of the load from load distribution member 406 to the side rails 408 and supports 404 allows the total axial load capacity of the wall panel to markedly increase.

The location of web 414 between the pairs of supports 404 and side rails 408 also provides a distinct advantage. The inclusion of the web 414 serves to add increased support to the overall structure by strengthening the load distribution member and controlling shear stress and the forces of bending. In this regard, the web 414 allows T-beam 406 to have similar structural advantages as a rectangular structural member in comparison to a simple flat plate. However, in contrast to a rectangular structure, such as the tube stock 106 used in wall panel 100, the web 414 is entirely disposed below the upper ends of the side rails 408 and supports 404. Thus, the portion of T-beam 406 supplying the additional strength to address shear and bending forces, is entirely disposed within the gap 112 between side rails 408 and supports 404. In contrast, with a rectangular structure, the added benefit of using a three-dimensional structure over a simple flat plate, is yielded at the expenses of increased height of the load distribution member above the tops of side rails 108 and supports 104.

When wall panels 100, 200 and/or 400 are stacked together, a stable support structure may be formed by welding vertically along corners of abutting panels as well as by providing temporary bracing between facing wall panels. One type of facing arrangement 600 is shown in the partial outline view of FIG. 6. The facing arrangement 600 includes crossing brace members 602 that extend in an “X” or “K” configuration across two opposite wall panels 100 or 200 in a four sided structure of wall panels, which is shown and discussed relative to FIG. 7. Each crossing brace member 602 includes round shaft portions 603 connected axially to one another through flat bar portions 604. Hooks 606 having a generally “J” shape are disposed at the ends of each brace member 602. The hooks 606 engage portions of the wall panels 100, for example, at the vertical supports 104. Pairs of brace members 602 disposed around a pin joint 608 are capable of interlocking the wall panels 100 or 200 such that vertical, shear, and lateral loading can be temporarily isostatically-supported until construction of the floor/ceiling portions is completed. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of a floor/ceiling joist 610 is shown extending horizontally across the wall panels 100 or 200.

An outline view of wall panels 100 and 200 partially assembled onto a building 700 during construction and in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 7. As shown, the building 700 may include completed floor slabs 702 at lower floors 704. A unitary wall panel 100 is mounted onto the topmost slab to form a wall panel support structure 710 and ultimately a wall of the building. Each of four sides of the slab supports one or more wall panels 100 that together form a wall of the building. A second story or subsequent floor wall panel 100 is shown disposed on one side of the building 700 in accordance with the disclosure. The upper wall panel 100 is connected to the lower wall panel 100 by bolted connections 706 as shown in FIG. 6, thus forming a wall panel structure 710 of more than one story of wall panels. At each of the corners 708 defined between adjacent walls, the wall panels 100 may be welded or bolted together to form a rectangular, continuous wall.

Wall panels 200 are shown disposed toward the center of the building 700 to form a core, within which elevators, stairwells, or other building portions may reside (none shown). Similar to the wall panels 100 forming non-core portions of the building 700, the wall panels 200 at the core portion of the building 700 may be welded at their corners and to each other. A plurality of cross braces 602 are shown disposed between facing walls of panels to provide structural rigidity to the panel assemblies until pouring of floors between the panels has been completed.

The assembled wall panel structure 710 shown in FIG. 7 illustrates the beginning of a construction of new floors on top of the completed floors 704 that already include poured and constructed floor/ceiling slabs. After the placement of the panels shown in FIG. 7, additional wall panels 100 may be attached to the shown structure 710 to complete the walls of the second story of wall panel structure 710 above the constructed floor slabs. Additional stories of wall panels 100 can then be constructed on top of the completed stories of wall panel structure. For example, the wall panel structure 710 can be built up to a height of four or twenty stories of wall panels 100 on top of the existing completed floors 704. As an alternative, it is certainly possible for the wall panel structures to be built up directly from the ground floor, or from a foundation structure, such that a wall panel structure 710 corresponding to the entire height of the building can be constructed before any of the floor slabs are poured. As the wall panel structure 710 is constructed, the individual wall panels 100 are joined, as described above, to form a load bearing structure that is both self supporting and also able to bear loads associated with the construction of the floor slabs.

The wall panel structure 710 may also be constructed to form load bearing walls of the completed building after the floor slabs are poured and completed. In this regard, it may be advantageous to use wall panels 100 in the lower floors that are stronger than the wall panels 100 used in the upper floors of the wall panel structure 710. For example, the wall panels of the lower floors could use larger supports 104 and/or larger side rails 108 than the wall panels of the upper floors. For example, the wall panels 100 of a lower floor may use a 2×6″ structural HSS member for support 104, while the wall panels of the upper floors use a 2×2″ square tube. Alternatively, or in addition, the wall panels of the lower floors may include supports 104 and/or side rails 108 that have a larger gauge than the supports or rails 104/108 of the upper floors. For example, a lower floor may use wall panels with supports 104 having a side-wall with a thickness of ¼″, while the supports 104 in wall panels of the upper floors may include a side-wall thickness of ⅛″.

Tables 1-3 together demonstrate the different possible wall panel constructions that can be used for various floor heights based on typical assumptions for a building given a variety of variables. The information shown in Tables 1 and 2 are provided for a wall panel 400 constructed according to FIG. 6 including the T-shaped beam as the load distribution member. Table 1 shows calculations of the expected loads of each pair of supports 404 within the wall panel 400 based on assumptions for a typical building. As shown, the assumptions for the building include a dead load value for each floor along with an estimated value for a live load. The building includes a joist span of 30 ft with the joists spaced at 4 ft, which are both common values. Given these assumptions, different load values are shown that are expected to be supported for every foot of wall panel 400. The bottom of Table 1 shows the load requirement for each pair of supports 404, which is referred to in the table as a stud assembly. Table 1 also includes values corresponding to various different numbers of floors, since the wall members of lower floors in a tall building will bear greater loads than the wall members of the upper floors, or than the wall members of shorter buildings. The load levels shown in the table correspond to the load that is supported by the bottom floor of a construction having, in total, the number of floors shown. The values depicted in Table 1 include load levels for 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 story constructions.

TABLE 1 Service level load per pair of supports Dead Loads Live Load 40.0 psf slab 38 psf stud spacing 24.0 in joists 3 psf Joist span 30.0 ft ceiling/mep 4 psf Joist spacing 4.0 ft partitions 15 psf trib 30.0 ft DL total 60 psf Ai 480.0 ft²/fl # of floors 1 5 10 15 20 service level wall load (k/ft) Lr 37.4 22.2 18.7 17.1 16.1 psf W_(dead) 1.8 9.0 18.0 27.0 36.0 psf W_(live) 1.1 3.3 5.6 7.7 9.7 psf W_(total) 2.9 12.3 23.6 34.7 45.7 k/ft service level load per stud assembly W_(total) 5.8 24.7 47.2 69.4 91.3 k

Table 2 shows the axial load capacity of each pair of supports 404 in the wall panel 400. The depicted data corresponds to a wall panel having supports 404 spaced every 24 inches and that includes two rows of bridging. As shown in the table, the wall panels can support a large range of loads based on the size and gauge of the tubing used for supports 404. The loading that can be supported by the supports 404 also varies based on the height of the wall panel. As shown, the taller wall panels are unable to support the same load as a shorter wall panel.

TABLE 2 Axial capacity of each pair of supports Service Level Axial Capacity Pn/Ω (kips) (capacity per pair of tubes) HSS tube size (two tubes) 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × Height (ft) 16 15 14 11 2 × 2 × ⅛ 2 × 2 × 3/16 2 × 2 × ¼ 6 × 2 × 3/16 6 × 2 × ¼ 6 × 2 × 5/16 6 × 2 × ⅜ 10 17.2 20.3 23.3 32.5 32.1 45.2 56.6 103.4 133.9 161.3 186.1 11 15.8 18.6 21.3 29.9 29.7 41.7 52.2 96.6 124.9 150.2 172.9 12 14.5 16.9 19.4 27.2 27.2 38.2 47.6 89.6 115.7 138.9 159.5 13 13.1 15.2 17.4 24.5 24.7 34.7 43.1 82.6 106.5 127.5 146.1 14 11.7 13.5 15.5 21.8 22.2 31.2 38.7 75.6 97.3 116.2 132.8 Allied Tube Structural HSS

Table 3 shows the axial capacity of the supporting bottom plate 160 of the wall panel 400. As shown, the capacity depends on both the thickness (gauge) of the bottom plate and on the size of the supports 404.

TABLE 3 Axial capacity of supporting bottom plate tube Service Level Axial size bottom track gage Capacity 2 × 2 16 ga 11k 14 ga 14k 12 ga 19k ⅜″ plate 50k ⅝″ plate 67k 2 × 6 ⅜″ plate 103k  ⅝″ plate 119k 

In accordance with the calculations shown in Tables 1-3 wall panels 400 can be selected specifically for different floors to meet the service load requirements calculated for that floor. For example, in a ten story building with the loading and building construction assumptions used in the example above, and, as an example, the total expected service load on the first floor is 47.2 kips. In the same building, the total expected service load on the sixth floor, which only has to support itself and the four floors above it (thus, the number of floors is five), is only 24.7 kips. Further assuming that the building requires a floor height corresponding to 11 feet, the data in Table 2 indicates that a wall panel 400 including supports 404 having a size of 2×2 with a gage of ¼ inch will adequately support the load at the bottom floor, since a wall panel of this type can support 52.2 kips, which is above the service load of 47.2 kips. In contrast, the wall panel used for the sixth floor, and higher floors, can use a lighter gage tube for supports 404. As shown in Table 2, a wall panel including supports 404 having a size of 2×2 with a gage of ⅛ inch can support a load up to 29.7 kips, which is higher than the required service load of 24.7 kips.

Once the wall panel structure 710 is assembled, the molds for floor slabs can be put in place so that the floor slabs can be poured in connection with the assembled structure 710. In an exemplary embodiment, the molds are position so that the floor slab is poured in an area corresponding to the supporting blocks 116 between the load distributing member 406 of a lower story and the support plate 111 of an upper story. As explained above, the assembled wall panel structure 710 is a load-bearing structure, with the load from upper floors being distributed directly through the wall panels of the upper floors to the wall panels of the lower floors. Accordingly, after the floor slabs have been poured, the completed structure has 100% bearing. Since the wall panels 100 are already assembled prior to the pouring of the floor slabs, gaps and spacing between the wall panels 100 and the floor slabs can be completely avoided.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 

1. A wall panel configured as a load bearing structure for supporting vertical loading in a building, the wall panel comprising: a box frame having a generally rectangular shape, the box frame including: a load distribution member disposed at a top of the box frame, a bottom member, and two sets of side rails interconnecting the load distribution member and bottom member, wherein each set of side rails includes two side rail members extending parallel to one another and defining a gap therebetween; a plurality of vertical supports disposed parallel to one another and to the side rails extending between the load distribution member and bottom member of the box frame, each vertical support including two vertical support members extending parallel to one another and defining an additional gap therebetween that is substantially aligned along the length of the wall panel with the gaps defined the side rail pairs; wherein the load distribution member includes a T-beam having a flange connected to the side rails and the vertical supports and having a web extending down from the flange and disposed within each gap between the respective sets of side rails and within each additional gap between the respective vertical support members of each support, the load distribution member being configured to distribute loading applied vertically from above the load distribution member substantially evenly along the length of the bottom member.
 2. The wall panel of claim 1, wherein the side rails and vertical support members are made of rectangular steel tube stock.
 3. The wall panel of claim 1, wherein the bottom rail is made of cold-formed steel sheet having a U-section.
 4. The wall panel of claim 1, wherein each set of side rails includes a first side rail disposed along a first outer edge of the wall panel and a second side rail disposed along a second outer edge of the wall panel.
 5. The wall panel of claim 1, wherein the respective gaps and additional gaps provide a passageway for conduits or pipes extending through the wall panel.
 6. The wall panel of claim 1, further comprising a bridging rail extending horizontally along the length of the wall panel and disposed at about the midsection of the wall panel.
 7. The wall panel of claim 1, further comprising an interconnection device adapted to interconnect the wall panel with an additional wall panel, wherein the interconnection device includes two blocks, each block having a hole and disposed on either end of the wall panel atop respective ends of the load distribution member, wherein each block is made of a section of rectangular tube stock, wherein each hole extends through a top side wall of each block to accommodate a fastener therethrough for connecting the additional panel.
 8. The wall panel of claim 7, further comprising two angled brackets, each disposed, at a respective end of the wall panel along an inner horizontal surface of the bottom member, wherein the two angled brackets are configured to provide structural reinforcement around a hole formed in the bottom member that is aligned with the hole in the corresponding block.
 9. The wall panel of claim 1, further comprising two cross braces which extend in an “X” configuration between the four corners of the box frame.
 10. A building system, comprising: a plurality of inter-connectable wall panels configured to be assembled into a load bearing structure for a building; each wall panel comprising a box frame having a generally rectangular shape, the box frame including: a load distribution member disposed at a top of the box frame and including a T-beam having a flange and a web, a bottom member, and two sets of side rails interconnecting the load distribution member and bottom rail, wherein a top of each side rail abuts the flange of the T-beam and each set of side rails includes two side rail members extending parallel to one another, disposed on respective opposite sides of the web of the T-beam and defining a gap therebetween; a plurality of vertical supports disposed parallel to one another and to the side rails and extending between the load distribution member and bottom member, each vertical support including two vertical support members extending parallel to one another, disposed on respective opposite sides of the T-beam and defining an additional gap therebetween that is substantially aligned along the length of the wall panel with the gaps defined by the side rails; and an interconnection device adapted to interconnect each wall panel with an additional wall panel, wherein the interconnection device includes two blocks, each block having a hole and being disposed on either end of the wall panel atop respective ends of the load distribution member, wherein each block is made of a section of rectangular tube stock, wherein each hole extends through a top side wall of each block to accommodate a fastener therethrough for connecting the additional panel; wherein the load distribution member of each wall panel is configured to distribute loading applied vertically from above the load distribution member substantially evenly along the length of the bottom member of the respective wall panel.
 11. The building system of claim 10, wherein the side rails and vertical support members of each wall panel are made of rectangular steel tube stock.
 12. The building system of claim 10, wherein the bottom member of each wall panel includes a light gage track made of cold-formed steel sheet having a U-section and a support plate below the light gage track.
 13. The building system of claim 10, wherein each set of side rails of each wall panel includes a first side rail disposed along a first outer edge of the wall panel and a second side rail disposed along a second outer edge of the wall panel.
 14. The building system of claim 10, wherein each gap provides a passageway for conduits or pipes extending through the respective wall panel.
 15. The building system of claim 10, wherein each wall panel includes a bridging rail extending horizontally along the length of the wall panel and disposed at about the midsection of the wall panel.
 16. The building system of claim 10, wherein each wall panel includes two angled brackets respectively disposed at each end of the respective wall panel along an inner horizontal surface of the bottom member, wherein the two angled brackets are configured to provide structural reinforcement around a hole formed in the bottom member that is aligned with the hole in the corresponding block.
 17. The building system of claim 10, wherein the vertical support members of a first of the plurality of interconnectable wall panels are formed of a stronger structural member than the vertical support members of a second of the plurality of interconnectable wall panels. 